Doge’s Palace-secrets, intrigue and escapes, Leonardo’s Museums

The Palazzo Ducale is where the Venetian administration (the council of 10 from 1310-1797) carried out government and judicial matters of the Venice Republic. They functioned like a secret police with networks of spies reporting to them.

The Palace was also a terrible place of detention, torture and executions of those convicted of crimes against the Republic. I took the secret tour through hidden passages, narrow stairwells, secret chambers and small prison cells which had little light and even less air!! I learned how Giacomo Casanova and a monk managed to be the only escapees from this prison. The interior of the palace is grand and ornate, a real showcase for visitors. I completed the tour by crossing over the Bridge of Sighs and peering out the window.

Leonardo’s museum was interactive and educational with working models of his inventions. Among his many inventions are the parachute, helicopter and the tank. It has been suggested that the Vitruvian Man is a self portrait of Leonardo as a young man.